Treating oils.



C. ELLI'S. I TREATINGOILS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, I913.

Patented Deb. 4, 1-917.

i i I n I I I I i I teasers.

wrap era Pa oration.

CAELETQH arms, or MONTGLAIE, new Jnnsnr, nssren'on T ELLrs-ros'rna comrarrr,

a conroaa'rroiv on NEW JERSEY.

TREATING OILS.

tion of gasolene from kerosene or other heavier oils by heat decomposition under cond1- tions which enable the production of a substantial or maximum yield of light spirit'by virtue of such operation.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings. in illustration of the process and apparatus of, the present invention, these drawings representingthe preferred embodiment from which various modifications and deviations arefeasible as will be evident to those skilled in the art after inspection ed partlyin vertical section and shows a form 0 connected with a suitable stack. In the chamber 1. are arranged a series of nearly horizontal pipes 4 which, however, as shown preferably have a slight inclination so as to zigzag across the chamber from top to 1 bottom, the lower tube of the series being preferably less inclined than the other tubes;-

5 is an inlet pipe for kerosene or other oil used for the present purpose, this pipe being provided with the valve 6. Through this pipe also may be fed water or aqueous solution (a diluted solution of ammonium nitrate may be used) or suitable catalytic maipe 5 as will be terial in solution. The

the uppermost noted communicates wit pipe of the aforesaid series 4. The lowermost pi e of the series 4 has an outlet 7 con- I 5 trolled 'y the valve 8. The several pipes or' tubes are connected by means of the headers ELLIS, a citi- Patented Dec. 4, 1191?.

Application filed April as, 1913. Serial No. 164,323.

9 in which are placed plugs 10 which enable the tubes to be opened and viewed from end to. end, or readily cleaned as occasion re quires. The second series of tubes is indicated by 11. llhese tubes form a rising system leading from the lowermost tube of series 4 and are connected one with another in'a manner similar to the series 4. Preferably the series 11'is given a greater inclination than the series t and preferably the uppermost tube of series 11 is below the uppermost tube or tubes of series 4. The uppermost tube of series 11 communicates with a ri'ser 12.connected with an air con- .denser 13, one member of whichyields its condensation products to the pipe 14: which passes through a condenser trough 15 filled with water and connects with the trap 16 which, is fitted with the draw-off 17. The riser 20 provided with a valve allows of the separation of gas and uncondensable products which may be separately collected;

From the tra 16, the ipe 18 equipped with the valve 19, eads to t e uppermost pipe of the tubular heating series 4. A pum 27 may be interposed in this pipe to facilltate the removal of the liquid products from pipe 14 and trap, 16 especially when the tubular system is operatin under pressure. A second win or mem r of the air condenser 21 serves or the condensation of lighter products more particularly the gasolenes which pass through the condensing pipe 22 going thence to the trap 23 having the drawofi 24 from which gasolene or similar light products may be withdrawn. 25 is a gas venting pipe having the valve 26. Although the air condensing members 13 and 21 are but two in number as here shown it will be evident/that the number maybe increased to provide for the se aration of several fractions as desired. he size of the, air condenser should be proportioned with respect to the output ofvapors from the heating chamher 1.

The function of the rising tubular series 11 is mainly that of digestion and final reaction'which ordinarily does not require an extremely elevated temperature, but is in substance 9. time reaction involving rearrangement of molecules to establish substantial or ultimate equilibrium of the components of the resultin gasolene whereby such product is stabiliz It is to be under- Stood that the term equilibrium as here employed has reference to the molecular condition of the components of the gasolene resulting from the reactions efiected during the digestion of the products of the heat decomposition of the material treated, in which reactions unsaturated or otherwise-unstable bodies produced, act by chemical union with the gases, and particularly hydro en, produced by such decomposition or y union with each other or by'polymerization, to produce saturated or otherwise substantially stable compounds whereby the gasolene is lef . may carry vantage. In order to secure a. greater heat tion chambersare stabilized. Such digestive function, as it may perhaps be termed, may obtain in the apparatus 30 and the tubular heating series 11 may be dispensed with, this being done in the appartus shown, by inserting the plug in the lower end of the lower member of the series 11 so far as to prevent the flow of vapors through said series. The pipe 7 has a draw-off 28. An extension 29 of the pipe 7 enters the apparatus 30 and connects with the riser 31 whichin turn communicates with the digestion chambers 32. 'These di' gestion chambers are preferably of considerable length and small height, and connected one with anthe pipes 33. The di es- I embedded in heat insu atmg material so that radiation loss is reduced.

It will be evident that chambers of various shapes and forms may be employed instead of those set forth herein so long as they serve the function of the chambers 32. The tubes of the series 4 preferably are filled with suit? able catalytic material 4 which also ma e the case with the rising series 11, a though the uppermost of these are sometimes t open but the lower tubes thereof often suitable catalytic material to adconductivity, especially when the pipes or tubes are large in size, nickel, iron or steel balls, disks or irregular shaped metal fragments and the like may be used more or less throughout the tubular system in order to secure a more rapid decomposition and transfer of heat and some or all of the pipes may be equipped with fins as shown in the lowermost tube of the heating series 4.

It is one consideration of the present invention to secure a high heating efliciency from the fuel used in the apparatus and to this end a regenerative effect is secured by building the apparatus 1 of considerable height, or when the same principles of construction are carried out with a horizontal heater, then such heater should be of vconsiderable length in orderto secure a regenerative efi'ect due'to the cold or relatively cool charge entering theuppermost pipe 4 and passing down to, ahotter zone so that the hottest flame or products of combustion width, but of a relatively I ma am come in contact with the lowermost tubes which thus are kept hottest; while the spent products of combustion pass upwardly in contact with the cooled tubes in the upper portion of the heat chamber 1 where the last available heat values may be'largely ab- 1 sorbed and utilized.

The tubular rising series 11 in contrast with the descending series 4 extends from thezone of'high temperature into one of relatively low temperature so that while the flow of the material along the series 4 is into zones of higher and higher temperature that of the material in the series 11 is into zones of lower and lower temperature, so that while series 4 is functioning as a decomposition system, the rising series 11 serves more as a digesting and equilibrium edectin'g system, an efiect which may be secured to a greater or less degree, according to circumstances, by the digesting boxes 32. The heat decomposition of petroleum oil normally gives rise to various unsaturated products I and the gasolene resulting from treatment of this character is unstable. By allowing the constituents of the materials formed by reaction to digest in the space afforded a satisfactory. quality of gasolene is obtained.

It should, 'of course, be understood that the production of gasolene from kerosene or other fraction of petroleum, or for that matter from crude oil and various distillates, involves a s litting up of heavy molecules into moleeu es of lower molecular weight often with the simultaneous eneration of hydrogen and other gases an the production of carbon, soot and tar. It is'important to minimize the production of coke, soot and tar as these block the-heating pipes more or less and when a catalyzer is used are liable to coat the surface thereof and impair its efficiency. The hydrogen which is set free by the decomposition should be given an opportunity to recombine which is entirely possible in view of the fact that unsaturated bodies are Produced durin the splitting operation. lvVhen water is introduced into the apparatus the steam reacts in the hotter zone under certain conditions yielding its hydrogen in an available form which is useful. The oil and the water, in case the latter is used, may be delivered to the apparatus in the form of vapor if desired.

Preferably I adjust conditions to provide a temperature for the escaping gases leaving the heating chamber 1 that shall range between 150 C. and 250 C. In the lower portion of the heating a paratus I prefer a temperature several hun red degrees higher, preferably between 400 C. and 600 C., degepding on the oil employed. For kerosene oiling from about 150 C. upward, a temperature of about 500 G. in the lower secwhich require high temperatures to decom pose may be superheated to.-600 or 800 C. or so in the lower heating tubes and may then pass upward through risers 11 into' zones of progressively decreasing temperature while equilibrium is bein established, or may be passed into digestlng chambers 32 for like purposes.

The oil products under treatment are va-v porized in the system of tubes 4 between the upper and lower tubes, the point at which vaporization begins and is completed depending upon the temperatures maintained in the heating chamber 1. The temperatures herein indicated for the preferred treatmentof kerosene and heavier fractions efiect their vaporization at a position or positions in the system such that the resulting vapors travel for a substantial distance through a zonepf progressively increasing temperature and the temperatures indicated are preferred bothfor effecting the heat decomposition of s 7 db ing converted into the materials specified and for stabilizing by digestion as hereinbefore described, the resulting lighter products, the rate of flow of the liquid through the upper portion of the system of tubes 4 and vapors through the lower portion of such system and through tubes 11 depending upon the'particular ma terial under treatment, such rateof flow being controlled according to the experience of the operator with the particular material under treatment as will be unde by those skilled in the art.

By this method of treatment to 75% of a gasolene or light volatile spirit boiling below 150 C. is obtainable from the raw oil material taken, the residue being both as and other heavy oil products which pass t rough the system several times without being broken down at the temperatures employed, because of their peculiar resistance to heat. Or in the case of some oils, the final productsshould be 75 or higher of gasolene or light spirit, the remainder of the oil be gas. Byv carefully regulating the temperature and especially by giving the vapors a suficiently long exposure to moderate heat, much less gas is violent and excessive. Thus bycareful regu produced than where the heat is sudden,

"lation and using preferably oils which have been fractionated. fairly closely the amount ofigas produced is very small indeed and the bu k of the oil is converted into light spirit;

What I claim is:

1. The process of making gasolene-like temperature maintained at or above the dc-- composmg temperature and in thereafter.

subjecting the products of such decomposition to a progressively decreasing temperaiaaaata f 3."llhe process of "making gasolene-like material which comprises passing the vapors of an oil containing essentially petroleum products heavier than gasolene through an elongated catalyzing zone of progressively increasing temperature maintained at or rabove the decomposing temperature and in thereafter subjecting theproducts of such decomposition to a progressively decreasing temperature without substantial and material condensation untilequilibrium of the unstable components of such products is established.

4. The process of making gasolene-like material which comprises passing the vapors of an oil.containing essentially. petroleum products heavier than gasolene through an elongated zone of progressivelv increasing temperature maintained at or above the decomposing temperature and. in thereafter subjecting the products of such. decomposition as vapors to a progressively decreasing temperature in the presence of catal tic material until equilibrium of the unst le components of such products is established.

5. The recess of making gasolene-like material which comprises passing the vapors of an oil containing essentially petroleum products heavier than gasolene through an elongated'zone of progressively increasing temperature maintained at or above the decomposing temperature and in thereaftersubjecting the products of suchdeeomposition as vap'ors to a progressively decreasing temperature until equilibrium of 'the' unmble components of such products is established in then condensing said products, substantially freeing same from gas and returning the heavier-than-gasol'ene components to a decomposing zone. 0

6. The material w ich comprises passing the vapors let an oil containingessentially petroleum products heavier than gasolene through a zone of progressively increasing temperature maintainedat or above the decomposing temperature and in thereafter subjecting the products of such decomposition as vapors to a progressively decreasing temperature until equilibrium of the unstable components recess of making gasolene-like the unstable COmPOIIeIItsOf such products is a then condensing said prodthan-gasolene components to of such pucts is blished in then condensin said products, substantially freeing same rom gas d returning the heavierdecomposing zone.

7; The material which comprises passing the vapors of an oil containing essentially petroleum products heavier than gasolene through an elongated catalyzingzone of progressively 1 increasing temperature maintained at or i above the decomposing temperature and in thereafter subjecting the products of such decomposition as vapors to a decreasing'temperature until equilibrium of established in ucts, substantially freeing same from gas and returning the heavier-than-gasolene components to decomposing zone.

8. The process of making gasolene-like material which comprises passing the vapors of an oil containing essentially petroleum products heavier than gasolene through an zone of progressively increasing v elongated temperature maintained at or above the de- -composmg temperature and in thereafter process of making gasolene-like progressively subjecting the pucts of such mposition as vapors to a progressively decreasing temperature in the presence of catalytic material until equilibrium of the unstable components of such products is established in then condensing said products, substantially freeing same from gas and returning the heavier-than-solene components to decomposin zone. a

9. %he process of making gasolene-like material which comprises subjecting the vapors of an oil containing essentially petroleum products heavier than gasolene to a de- Essex and State of New Jersey this 18th day of April A.,D. 1913.

CLE'lI0N ELLIS. Witnesses:

B. M. Ems, 1*. Canntm'r.

composing temperature andsubjecting the 

